An entertaining draw between two of the National League’s most inconsistent teams saw both remain firmly ensconced in mid table with identical season records.

 

A Jordan Higgs header minutes after the restart had given Bromley the lead only for Shaquille Coulthirst to draw Barnet level twenty minutes from time with his 20th goal of the season.

With Bromley in the midst of an injury crisis manager Neil Smith was happy to welcome back top scorer JJ Hooper who replaced the injured Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu in the starting line up. Other than that change and Marc Anthony Okoye being fit enough for a place on the bench Bromley were unchanged from Easter Friday’s defeat to Solihull.

The match itself took a very long time to get going as a combination of gorgeous late Spring weather and two sides with nothing to play for largely cancelled each other out in the opening half hour.

The first genuine chance when it came fell to Jordan Higgs, playing in the hole behind JJ Hooper, it was the latter who laid off a ball to Higgs only for the marauding midfielder to side foot wide from just inside the area.

That seemed to wake Barnet up who despite dominating possession had not yet created a clear cut opportunity. All of that was to change six minutes before half time in a stunning passage of play. Elliot Johnson’s brilliant delivery from the left touchline was met first time by Ephron Mason-Clark only for Gregory to deny him with a fantastic point blank reaction save. From the resultant follow up Gregory was to excel himself by turning Coulthirst’s deflected drive onto the post. Both saves were straight out of the top draw and would have befitted a game at the very top level.

Despite that scare it was Bromley who perhaps should have gone in at half time in front but Hooper headed wide from Richard Brindley’s cross when he perhaps should have hit the target.

If the first half only came to life in the final 15 minutes the second was a far more entertaining affair with both teams playing expansive football and going for the jugular from the restart.

It was Bromley who were to draw the first blood, three minutes into the half, Sam Wood’s cross was missed by both George Porter and Luke Coulson but Brindley was able to send an inch perfect cross back into the penalty area that was met by a Jordan Higgs bullet header to give Bromley the lead.

Buoyed by the goal Bromley should have extended their advantage just shy of the hour mark. Coulson broke from the halfway line and fed Hooper just inside the area but the 14 goal man poked his effort wide of the goal.

At no point did Barnet ever look out of the game, however, and after Roger Johnson had done well to block Jack Taylor’s goalbound strike and Gregory had tipped over Ssbstitute Simeon Akinola’s scissor kick. Barnet eventually worked their deserved equaliser.

Johnson again worked time and space down the left and his cross fell to an unmarked Coulthirst at the backpost who made no mistake from close range, poking beyond Gregory.

With both sides eager to win their penultimate game of the season the final ten minutes played out in frantic fashion with both Porter and Hooper missing golden opportunities to win the game late on for the Ravens.

Firstly Porter did well to block Callum Reynolds cleareance before reacting quickest to chase down the loose ball as he advanced on goal he beat Mark Cousins but not the inside of the post.

Then in injury time Hooper fluffed his lines following fantastic play by Higgs. Higgs did brilliantly to wriggle free of two men on the right touchline before producing a daisy cutter of a cross that found Hooper in acres of space only for the frontman to scuff wide with only

Cousins to beat. That was to be the final meaningful action of an entertaining game.

Barnet will now complete their season with a trip to relegated Havant and Waterlooville while Bromley will host Ebbsfleet in an end of season Kent Derby.

Barnet (4-2-3-1): Cousins; Alexander, Santos, Reynolds, Johnson (Box 72); Boucaud, Taylor; Mason-Clark, Fonguck (Vasiliou 78), Sparkes (Akinola 55); Coulthirst

Subs not used: Robson, Matrevics

Bromley (4-2-3-1): Gregory; Brindley, Holland, Johnson (Okoye 76), Wood; Sutherland , Raymond; Porter, Higgs, Coulson, Hooper

Subs not used: Dunne, Nakov, Enver

Goal scorers / Time of goal: Barnet: Coulthirst 70 Bromley: Higgs 48

Referee: Mr Gareth Rhodes

Star Man: Jordan Higgs

Attendance: 1,744 (192 away)